This book puts the widely-held view that 'arms control in space is not possible' to the test and aims to explore how, and under what conditions, arms control could become a reality. Drawing upon international regimes and IR theory, Mutschler examines the success of space weapons and anti-ballistic missiles.

"Arms control faces an uphill battle when it comes to preventive measures: It has never been convincingly conceptualized how to regulate the introduction of cutting-edge weapons technology in order to obviate dangerous instability or fatal humanitarian consequences. This book uses international regime theory in order to identify the factors that enhance the chances for such arms control. It is clearly structured and excels by analytical depth. Scholars and practitioners of security cooperation struggling with technological advances will benefit from its insights."

• Harald Müller, Goethe-University, Frankfurt and Director of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)

'Drawing on international relations theory, Mutschler provides a convincing argument on why despite current obstacles arms control in space is feasible and could improve future space security. His thoughtful analysis provides fresh ideas to current policy debates and a wealth of information for students. He concludes with useful suggestions on the potential role of an emerging epistemic community toward building a stronger international regime. Mutschler's book is well researched and a valuable contribution to the literature.'

• James Clay Moltz, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, USA

  Autorentext

Max M. Mutschler is a Researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin. He holds a doctoral degree from the Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, where he worked as a lecturer and research associate at the Institute of Political Science.

Inhalt

1. Introduction 2. Arms Control: Concepts and Debates 3. Regime Theory and Preventive Arms Control 4. Anti-Ballistic-Missiles and Arms Control 5. Space Weapons and Arms Control 6. Analyzing Arms Control in Space 7. Conclusion